The USA Men’s Ice Hockey team opens their campaign at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Thursday against Latvia (3:10 p.m. ET on USA Network). Here are how the lines could shake up, with more in-depth insight
on former Michigan Wolverines.
LHD Quinn Hughes- top pair
A regular Norris Trophy contender for the NHL’s top defenseman, Hughes has been on an absolute tear since joining the Minnesota Wild. In 26 games, he has three goals and 34 total points, helping turn general manager Bill Guerin’s team (who also constructed USA’s roster) into a legitimate Stanley Cup threat.
Hughes is not the Americans’ top shutdown defenseman, but a pairing with the Boston Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy would give them an excellent balance of offense, defense, skating and leadership.
LHD Zach Werenski- second pair
Werenski has not only asserted himself into the three-horse Norris race with Hughes and Canadian phenom Cale Makar, but he also has a real argument for the Hart Trophy for league MVP. He’s been that good, dragging his Columbus Blue Jackets into the playoff race as he leads them in goals (20), assists (42) and points (62).
He has been as good as any blue-liner this season, and while it would be a tad surprising, do not be shocked if he overtakes that top left-side role from Hughes.
C Dylan Larkin- third line
Larkin as the third line center feels like the most obvious of any of these predictions. A skilled two-way forward, he does not bring the offensive prowess of a Jack Eichel or Auston Matthews, but his defensive play and commitment to a 200-foot game should make him a key cog for USA’s bottom six.
Larkin’s line is probably best-suited to try and neutralize teams’ opposing top forward lines, yet this is still a near-point-per-game player who is far from a one-trick pony. He can play in every situation and should be a tremendous boost in between the margins.
W Kyle Connor- third line
Connor arrived in Ann Arbor for his lone season right after Larkin departed, but giving him a perpetual 30-goal scorer could make that line an X-factor for the Americans, who struggled with clutch scoring in the 4 Nations Face-Off last winter and need guys like Connor to step up in Italy. Connor has been around a point-per-game player during his 10-year NHL career and has been one of those guys the Winnipeg Jets desperately lean on in crunch time.
The forwards
Brady Tkachuk – Jack Eichel – Matthew Tkachuk
Jake Guentzel – Auston Matthews – Tage Thompson
Kyle Connor – Dylan Larkin – Matt Boldy
Brock Nelson – J.T. Miller – Vincent Trocheck
The Tkachuk brothers flanking Eichel is everything you could hope for as a USA hockey fan. Eichel is the team’s top overall center and with those two beasts on the wing, this line would have the skill, sandpaper and passion to skate with Canada, Sweden and Finland’s stars.
The second line would have to be a scoring line, as all three are proficient in goal-scoring and playmaking. Guentzel is a big-game player, Matthews has looked better of late, and Thompson can play the harder, physical game to balance their shifts.
Adding Boldy to the line provides a similar role to Thompson, where he can use that big frame and incredible hands to fit in seamlessly with Connor and Larkin.
Finally, the omission of my New Jersey Devils’ forward Jack Hughes may come as a surprise, but the oft-injured star would make more sense in a middle-six role than a fourth-line, checking one. He could easily find himself in the lineup if the scoring diminishes, but if those top nine cannot put the puck in the net, this could be a very, very disappointing tournament.
Nelson, Miller and Trocheck feel like better bets to round out this team, not just collection of All-Stars.
The defense
Quinn Hughes – Charlie McAvoy
Noah Hanifin – Zach Werenski
Jaccob Slavin – Brock Faber
The aforementioned Hughes and McAvoy pair would help instill confidence that this team could win the gold, and is probably the highest floor and highest ceiling of any duo.
Werenski finds himself on his off-side here, as this is a lefty-heavy core. However, that should be no problem for an offensive savant like himself and may even benefit him in the offensive zone.
Slavin and Faber are likely the best true defensive pairing, and it is a testament to this team’s talent and depth that they find themselves on the third unit. They could definitely flip with Hanifin and Werenski and play bigger minutes against more talented forward lines, but Werenski is too good to bury on the depth chart.
Goaltending
Connor Hellebuyck – Jeremy Swayman – Jake Oettinger
Hellebuyck has come back down to Earth a bit as his Jets continue their downfall, but he is still the top option for the Americans. Whether Swayman or Oettinger takes the secondary reps is up for debate, but Swayman feels like more of a gamer and is better-suited for these high-stakes moments. Regardless, it’s Hellebuyck’s job to lose and he is USA’s best chance at upsetting the Canadians.
